Changes
by An Anonymous Soul
Summary: Several months from fleeing the Opera, Shilo is in a new place, has a new face, has hit rock bottom. Can a familiar face help her back up? Grilo, reading and reviewing would be much obliged!
1. We are the Dead

The girl crawled along the wet blacktop on her knees, surveying the area like a jungle cat. The street was filled the fellow scalpel sluts, prowling and preening and picking off each other, waiting for him to arrive. The girl was antsy, jittery, nervous, the way she always was as of late. But she had to stay calm and cool, she knew she'd get what she needed quicker that way. Her father had left her an enormous will, but the bulk of it was gone, blown on surgeries and Z. Her currently crystal green eyes contemplated the area, attempting to find the man that supplied what she needed.

"Who's up?" he appeared as if from no where. He was dirty and foul smelling, hair bunched in knots atop his head. But they all flocked to him as if he were the messiah, the herder to their sheep. The 18 year old stood up then, began to prowl her way toward the man. She slunk to him, placed a hand on his shoulder, the other on his hip. She slipped several coins into his pocket.

"I think I'm first," she whispered in his ear, drawing him close. "Gimme a hit." Shilo thought she'd become more mature as she spent more time on the streets, but Snake only saw a little girl somewhere she didn't belong. But he smiled, because the younger they were, the more innocent. The more they were willing to pay.

He watched Shilo as she stood back, ran a hand through her knotted white-blonde hair. The hair had been her first surgery. Her bald head had reminded her of everything she left behind. So did her face. She had changed it a grand total of four times in the months since she had left. Shilo looked like a completely different person. Which is exactly what she was. She had done everything she could to go from the innocent girl she once was to something... else. And she fit the latter category perfectly. In the months prior, she had learned the ways of the street. She had tried to become one of those hardened, scary people she had met that night in the alleyway with Graverobber, back when Zydrate was just some shiny blue liquid. But there were times when Shilo still cried at night.

In the beginning, she had been able to afford the top surgeons, to get a regular procedure done in a hospital, but as time wore on and the a bit got worse, so did the surgeries. At first, Shilo was able to buy Zydrate legally in hospitals, get her surgeries in hospitals, rest and heal in a hospital. But as time wore on and her money grew thin, she began cutting back, at first just buying her Z on the streets, then leaving the hospital as soon as the procedure was over. Eventually she cut the hospital out all together. There were street surgeons, usually underground. The procedure was riskier, but Shilo had been going there for a while, and nothing had happened, until the scar. It ran from her hairline, diagonally down the bridge of her nose, and came to a rest at the corner of her right eye. The last bit of her money was going to fix it.

"The new bitch with the money gets to go first? Snake, I've been here for HOURS! Do me!" A rather large woman with a fire engine mullet pushed the girl to the ground. This was a problem Shilo encountered many times in that alley. After fleeing the opera, She had run. She knew she needed something to numb herself from everything, but Graverobber had been nowhere to be found. So she kept running, to another alley, another town, a place where nobody knew her name. Most alleyways weren't accustomed to change. Generally, one grave robber would constatly have the same customers, but Shilo mixed things up, and the local Z community didn't approve. She'd been beaten on multiple occasions for going first, but she didn't care, she was just glad Snake had a thing for young, fresh meat.

Snake dropped a hand to help the girl up. "Let's go, baby." He beckoned her to a darker crevice of the alley way. "So, what're you gonna do this time, baby?" Shilo hated that he called her that. It felt so sleazy, so wrong. But she put up with it, if only to get her fill.

"What's it to you, Snake?" Her words slithered from her tongue. "Are you gonna gimme a hit or not?" Shilo walked to him, slammed him against the wall by his shoulder. That was when Snake did what she had been dreading. "Baby, you're light," He pulled the coins from his pocket, weighing them with his hand. This was one of the things Shilo hated about street Z. The price was controlled strictly by the dealer; if they said you didn't give them enough, then you didn't. But that was all she had. All she could afford in order to get her final surgery. "N-no, it's all there," Shilo stammered. Snake stared at her incredulously. So she did the first thing that came to her mind: begged. "Please, Snake, just a hit. That's all I need! You don't understand, I'll do anything!" Shilo fell to the ground and clung to the man's leg. "Please," she whispered, looking up at him with tears in her eyes.

Snake brought a hand to the girl's face, lifted her chin up with a grimy finger. He brushed back her hair so he could see the ugly scar across her face. Shilo could feel his eyes lingering over it, tracing it's every curve. It was disgusting. "Fine," the man sighed, "I'll let it slide this time... for a price," He grinned wickedly, and Shilo gulped.

"W-What do you want?" She tried to sound brave, but it was hard to do when she already knew the detestable answer to her question.

"Baby," Snake picked her up roughly by her neck, and she did the best she could not to choke. He pushed her against the opposing wall, "You already know," The man chuckled inside. It was not a deal that he was willing to make with most. But she was so fragile, so small, so timid looking, that he knew this opportunity was a rare one.

He smiled a gnarled, cracked grin. One that could chill any person to the bone. Shilo closed her eyes and tried not to breathe. Snake had her pinned against the wall, his mere stench nauseating her. She knew what was about to happen; she'd seen it happen to other girls, watched as they squeezed their eyes shut and tried to pretend nothing was happening. Shilo had always told herself she would be ready for that moment when it came, but truth be told she wasn't. She'd never even really seen a man in person until she was seventeen. All she knew at this point was that this was not the way her virginity was supposed to be lost. It took every ounce of strength she could muster not to cry when he touched her, not to scream as he broke her. It never stopped hurting and Snake paid no mind to her whimpering while he was inside her. Shilo tried to reassure herself that she was doing the right thing, that this whole ordeal would be worth it in the end, but all she could focus on was the pain. It made it too hard to drown out Snake's grunting and gasping with her thoughts.

After an eternity, it was over. Shilo felt empty, drained, dead. She stood, paralyzed. Snake stood before her, zipping up his fly. In the same motion, he pulled out a glowing vial of Zydrate and loaded it into a gun. "What're you doing?" Shilo murmured, too stunned to put up any kind of fight. She looked down and saw a small droplet of blood splash the ground beneath her.

"What you want me to, baby," Snake replied as he watched Shilo cringe. He knelt down and pressed the gun to her inner thigh.

"N-no! Not yet, I need to find my sur-" Shilo was cut short by the sting of the needle, followed by the slow burn of Zydrate coursing through her veins. "-gen..." Her usual procedure involved Snake handing her the vial, which her surgeon would later inject her with before surgery, but for some reason, this time was different.

Shilo felt herself slide down the wall to which she'd been restrained, collapse like a heap of dirty rags. Her white dress quickly became stained by blood and grime from the street. She couldn't feel a thing, and the world began to float by her like a dream. Shilo's eyes began to get heavy, and she soon slipped into the realm of unconsciousness.

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**So, I've been sitting on this for a while, it was something I started, and then forgot about, and then found it and got really excited and wanted to post it. Not sure how far I'll go with it... That's up to you lovely people! Kindly lemme know your thoughts!**


	2. A Light in the Dark

Another night: dead. Graverobber prowled his alleyway, waiting for someone,_ anyone_, to come for Z. It had been like this for several weeks now: empty. He began to wonder if another grave robber had opened up shop, taken his customers. He wasn't going to wait around to find out.

He left his bedding in the dumpster he was currently residing and began to walk. Graverobber wasn't quite sure which direction he was going, but he had to do _something_. If worse came to worse, he would pick up and move to a different alley. One where the stairs were filled with addicts and scalpel sluts clung to his every word. He knew the kind of people he was looking for. They were... shinier than most. Their clothing was hard and dark, usually some skin tight leathery number, mixed with a clashing of too many obscene colors. They all had the characteristic scarring around their clavicles, generally remnants from some kind of facial transplant.

Graverobber hopped onto the back of a passing garbage truck. He figured it would be much faster than walking to whatever his destination may have been. He scanned the alleyways that he passed, looking for possibilities. But each one seemed more desolate than the last, all empty cracks and crevices, not a soul to be found. Eventually the truck left the city, and still the streets were eerily empty. So the man stayed put, waiting for what he was looking for. After what felt like forever, Graverobber saw it. A gaggle of scalpel sluts were clinging to each other for support, attempting to remove themselves from the especially grimy alley, but to no avail. He chuckled as they all collapsed together, a pile of people just behind the streetlight's glow. "Well," he muttered to himself, "I guess this is my stop." He hopped lightly from the garbage truck to the concrete below.

The man strolled confidently into the alley, not surprised to see bodies on the ground, propped up against the walls. The bulk of them were unconscious, still on a very strong Z high. A few were just coming out of their vegetative state, one of which he recognized. "Hey, you," he walked up to the woman. Her face was pulled back, all her features hawk-like. "Hey!" Graverobber slapped her hard across the face, attempt to wake her. "Why are you here?"

The woman looked up at him with clouded, dull eyes. "Z... Cheap... Snake..." The woman's words stumbled over her lips.

"...Right," Graverobber shook his head and procured a vial of Zydrate from his bag. He swiftly tucked it into the woman's shirt. He knew that in her state of half consciousness, it would slip from her grasp, and his message would go unheard. "Well," he sighed, "Come back sometime, tell your friends, and I'll see you whenever, then!" He spoke to her as if she wasn't completely knocked out once again. He stood from his squat next to the woman, and stormed his way out of the alley, unnerved that his customers would travel that far for Z when it was right there in their own city. The nerve!

That was when he saw it: a glimmer of white out of the corner of his eye. Graverobber backtracked, and saw that there was a small alley within the alley. And a girl lay there, white from head to toe. Her dress rested several inches above her knee, and was virtually transparent. It was oddly familiar, something he had swore he'd seen before. She was so malnourished in appearance, her eyes sunken in, her cheeks sallow. The girl's hair was splayed around and over her head like a grimy, white halo. Graverobber knelt down to brush a strand of hair from her face. He cocked his head to the side, trying to put the puzzle pieces together. There was something eerily familiar about the girl, but it was something so distant...

He noticed the large scar that veined down her forehead. Saw the red swollen scar around her neck, saw her small puckered mouth, her closed eyes. Grave shook his head. She was so young, but he _knew_ he'd seen her before.

Then it clicked.

"Kid?" Graverobber whispered, urgency in his voice. He jostled her shoulder, but there was no movement. "Shit, kid?" He slapped her face in an attempt to get some kind of reaction, but none came. "Fuck!" He remembered Shilo, remembered her long black hair, remembered how she would always sneak around, remembered the eager, innocent look in her eyes every time he had seen her. Then he remembered her past. He remembered how everything she had known was stripped away from her, how the only man she'd ever known, ever loved, was gone, murdered before her eyes. He remembered reading about it in the papers the next night, remembered hoping that she found her way in the world alright. Remembered thinking that she'd be okay.

He looked down at the girl before him, saw the blood and the dirt smeared upon her dress, and suddered. He had had the power to stop all of this from happening, he could have taken the girl under his wing, shown her the ropes, taught her to be safe.

Graverobber reached for her wrist, and breathed a sigh of relief as he felt the light _thump-thump_ of a pulse. He hadn't realized he'd been holding his breath. He hoisted Shilo up into his arms. He had failed her once already, he damn well wasn't about to let it happen again.

As they left the alleyway, Graverobber noticed how light she was. It felt as though he wasn't carrying anything, let alone an 18 year old girl. He briskly strode from street to street, for once glad that there was not a soul walking about this late at night.

The man knew he would have to put Shilo down soon, but wasn't sure how quickly he could get back to his flat. It wasn't too far from where they currently were, just beyond the border of the city, but he didn't know if a six foot tall grave robber carrying an emaciated teen through the streets would go unnoticed. He sighed in relief when a garbage truck finally drove by. Graverobber stayed in the shadows until it passed, then hopped onto the back. He was thankful it was moving slowly... He needed time to place Shilo down before he could finally sit.

At long last, the truck drove by Graverobber's place. It wasn't much, but it was some kind of shelter. He didn't generally stay there; his dumpster was much more ideal, as his customers generally lurked there. But the flat was a place to stay when the rain was too bad for the dumpster. It had been abandoned by its previous owner, and miraculously still had running water, so he was able to bathe when needed.

Graverobber scooped Shilo into his arms and carried her from the truck to the flat. After kicking the door in, he stumbled through the darkness until he found the couch. While the house still had water, lights were something the place lacked.

He lay the girl on the couch, and after lighting a few candles, took off his jacket and spread it over her. He stared at Shilo, watched her breathe. She looked so small enveloped in his monstrous jacket. He raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but chuckle at how disproportionately small she was under it. Even with all the changes she had made, she still looked like a kid, was still the Shilo he remembered. A Z high usually lasted several hours, so he knew she would be unconscious for quite a while. With that in mind, he went to the bathroom to take a well deserved shower.

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**So, I couldn't resist putting the second chapter up already... I wanted to put Grave's chapter in as quickly as possible, because then I can stop with the background info and start with the story! Please please please read and review, it makes my day quite bright :D**


	3. Help

Shilo woke to new surroundings. Her emerald eyes tried to adjust to the darkness, but it was hard to make out her environment. Whatever she was lying on was lumpy and smelled of must. Candles were lit all around her, as if she was one of the dead. The girl sat up and rubbed her eyes. The entire room stank of darkness and age, and she could barely make out the shapes of what was surrounding her. That was when she noticed the weight on her legs. Her shaking hands ran over the soft leather draped around her, knotted themselves in the fake fur of the collar. She looked around tentatively, and as her eyes adjusted to the shadowy place, she saw a faint glowing light from underneath a door.

Curious, she strained to see where it was coming from. After pushing the coat off herself, she stood on wobbly legs; getting a bearing on reality after a trip on Z was not an easy feat. She had to hold the back of the couch for support, and as she attempted to stride away from it, she fell. She felt like a newborn learning to walk, all gangly and awkward on confused feet. Shilo pushed herself back up and, after stumbling to the wall, she felt her way through the dank apartment.

As she walked, Shilo tried to make out other things around her. The area was rather spartan... Now that her eyes finally adjusted thoroughly, she could see a table with a few mismatched chairs, an empty television stand, a mirror in the hall. But mostly, she saw candles. She tried to count them as she struggled against the wall, but it was too much effort and she sank back to the floor for a moment.

The light coming from the crack in the door was rather dim, and Shilo mused over what could be on the other side. She swept her white hair from her face and pushed at the door. It gave almost too easily and she fell through to other side, landing on all fours.

Shilo concentrated hard on not looking up, counting the tiles on the floor, for before her stood a man, one lacking clothes and sopping wet. Water splashed the floor around her from his tendrils of multi colored hair. Hair she very vaguely recognized, even in her haze. "Shit!" He exclaimed, grabbing a towel and quickly wrapping it around his waist. Shilo looked up to see the muscles in his back flex as he did so. The man chuckled and turned. "Kid, almost gave me a heart attack! Didn't think you'd be conscious for another hour." With the exception of water smudged kohl around his eyes, he was makeup-less, something Shilo didn't think was even possible. She noted how different he looked when he wasn't pasty faced and black lipped. At first, she wasn't even sure it was truly him, until she heard him speak. She had missed his term of endearment, it was so much more innocent than Snake's "baby." She shivered just thinking about it.

"I-I'm sorry," She stammered, making a weak attempt to stand, but the humidity made her slip to the hard tile once more. Graverobber's hand was out in a flash to help her up, even before she hit the ground. "Thanks," Shilo mumbled, averting her eyes from his torso. She had never realized how monstrous in size he was. He stood at least two heads taller than her, even without the gigantic boots he usually donned. The man shook his head and smiled a Cheshire Cat grin, offering his arm to the nymph girl below him. She took it and followed him back to the couch she had been on before. Graverobber threw himself onto it, sprawled out like a king.

The two of them exchanged awkward silences, Graverobber's eyes bored into her, while Shilo furtively tried to avoid them. "So," he started, his voice more subdued than she remembered it. He had always been such a showman on the streets; it was strange to see him this bare. Shilo laughed timidly and looked to him for a brief second, and she was instantly lost in his Zydrate blue eyes. Zydrate. Shilo's hands flew up to her face, felt the jagged scar that was ever present there. And she sank.

The memories from the hours previous hit her like a rock. She felt the pockets of her slip of a dress and found... nothing. Shilo knew she had had more money than just what she had given Snake. "No..." Shilo almost whispered. God only knew how long she'd been passed out in the alley for, somebody probably jacked the money for her next surgery while she was out.

Shilo curled into an almost fetal like position on the ground, her head buried in her knees as she sobbed. Graverobber's heart broke for her. He wanted to run to the whimpering girl, wanted to hug her to his chest, kiss her head, assure her that everything would turn out all right. But he couldn't bring himself to. He just sat on the couch, his ever present eyes locked to Shilo as she weeped. It was all he could do.

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Now, I know this chapter's kinda on the short side, but there's more coming!

I'd just like to say that I am so completely thankful for all your comments. They make me all smiley on the insides! Please keep 'em coming... you guys give me a reason to keep writing3


	4. Bare

She had fallen asleep on the hard floor some hours later. Graverobber hadn't moved from the couch until that time… He had stared as she fell apart before him, done nothing as she cried. He kicked himself for it, but he had himself trained to show no sentimental attachment towards anything, anyone. So trained, he couldn't turn it off even if he wished. The street was a hardening place.

But now, the girl lay quietly. Not in the slumber of the dead, as she had been during her Z high, but in a restless, fitful sleep. He watched her as she dreamed, and couldn't help but lift himself from the couch to creep towards her. She was still curled in a ball, her hands clinging to her face as if it was about to fall off. Graverobber crept ever closer, until his face was mere inches from hers. He stood on his haunches and peered at her through electric blue eyes, and finally reached to remove her hands from her countenance.

Her brow was furrowed and puckered, worried and withered even in her sleep. He cocked his head to one side, taking all of her in. Her feet were bare and grimy from the street, and her dress was stained from the wear and tear of that God forsaken alleyway. He looked at the patch of blood that soiled what could have been a symbolically pure dress, and frowned. The man was surprised at how enraged he felt while contemplating where the blood could have come from. The answer stared him in the face, but it made him queasy. The fact that anyone could take advantage of someone as fragile, as sheltered, as Shilo Wallace appalled him. But, he did know her better than most.

Graverobber had to do something. He felt like she needed not be reminded of the shit she'd gone through in the past few months, let alone the past few hours. He gathered her into his arms as he stood up, and smiled a lopsided grin when she threw her arms around his neck. He could have sworn he heard her mumble the word "Daddy," in her sleep, and she snuggled into the crook of his neck.

He was grateful that he always left his bedroom door open; kicking it in as he had done previously probably would have waken her from her slumber. Graverobber placed her lightly on the bed, and turned to the old dresser by the window. In the moonlight's glow, he pulled an old long sleeve shirt from a drawer. He had three shirts to his name, one when the nights were hot, one when the nights were cold, and one to wear when the other two were too foul and required a serious washing. It was that one he gave to Shilo. It was collared, and would be far too large on the girl's skeletal frame, but it was one he knew he wasn't going to need for quite some time.

This was the part he was unsure of. He had known it would have to be done at some point during the night, but he was so worried about adding insult to injury. If she were to wake up, see him hovering over her, attempting to remove her frock, she'd be out on the street faster than he could blink. She would run back to the solace of Zydrate and forget he ever existed. Not that he particularly cared if she forgot him, he told himself. But deep down, he was a nurturer, at least when the person was worth nurturing. And Shilo was _interesting_. He wanted to save her from the streets, from the vile people who resided there, from herself. He wanted to keep as much of her innocence preserved as he could, keep her from getting too tainted too quickly.

But he was getting ahead of himself. The man stood before her, new shirt in hand. He had undressed copious amounts of women over the years, but never for any reason this extreme. They had always been conscious, willing, would practically beg him to do so. This girl was another story. Graverobber wasn't sure where to begin without waking her. He looked to her pale neck, saw the faint bruise of a handprint round it, saw the scarring around her collar bone, saw tiny bluish veins pulsating to deliver her blood from place to place just beneath that. Graverobber blinked to get his thoughts on track, and noticed there were four small buttons that began at the hollow of her neck. With steady fingers, he slowly unbuttoned each one. Shilo sighed in her slumber, and Graverobber froze in place. He just barely turned his head, but saw her eyes were still glued shut. And that she was smiling.

With the first mini hurdle out of his way, Graverobber continued to strip the girl of her constant reminder. He leaned cautiously on the bed, and slowly wedged a hand behind her back. Steadily, he propped her up to a sitting position. He looked at her face once more, and was glad to see she was still not awake. He took the hem of her skirt, which had already hiked up considerably since he laid her down, and swiftly pulled it to her waist. He averted his eyes as best he could as he raised her arms up to pull the thing over her head. The man damned himself for being so chivalrous, because he was incredibly tempted to take just one look at her alabaster skin. As the shirt was pulled over her hands, her hair swam lazily over her shoulders, down her torso. Though he wasn't directly looking at her, Graverobber could see she was radiant in the moonlight.

He avoided looking at her as he reached for the fresh shirt. With one hand still propping the girl up by her back, he slid her arms into each of the shirt's sleeves. With Shilo mostly clothed, he placed her gingerly back onto the bed. He looked to her face once more, and she was completely asleep. He was almost home free. Graverobber found the first button and hole, and, after squeezing his eyes shut, he buttoned as many buttons as he could. When he felt there were no more, he opened his eyes. The first thing he noticed was how striking she was. Her new hair and pale skin were so contrasted by the black of the shirt… It was something he could not get used to seeing.

Graverobber looked to the girl once more, and brushed the white hair from her face. She was so cherubic in her sleep, so like a child. Looked as pure as he knew she really was. He looked at the scar across her forehead. It was ugly, but it didn't take away from anything she already had. He knelt down at her bedside and traced it with a long forefinger. It was raised, but almost smooth against his skin. It was a shame a girl such as Shilo would feel the urge to undergo so many changes. While her hair and her eyes were different, he noted, she was still very much the same. Her cheeks were sunken from hunger, her lips were slightly bigger, her nose a little broader, but she hadn't needed to change anything before. As far as underage girls went, Graverobber thought with a smirk, she had been pretty perfect. And she still was. He kissed her marred forehead lightly, before standing to leave the room.

Tonight, he would sleep on the couch.

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**Read and review as always, please! **


	5. Home

******Another chapter done! I just wanna take the time to thank MISS-DEATH-WAS-HERE and angelfan86 for their constantly awesome reviews... They make me smile. **

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"There were these bodies… They were all dead!" Shilo proclaimed to her father. She stared at him with intensity in her eyes and assurance in her veins. "Couldn't imagine this, I couldn't have fathomed this." Her father busied himself, cleaning his glasses as she spoke. "Dad, I could smell the dead!" Nathan Wallace looked aggravated._

_"You could have- You scared me to death!" He shook his head in disappointment, the way only a father could. "Take your medicine." He handed her a Zydrate gun, a vial brimming with blue neon already loaded. Shilo nodded as her father told her she was his world. She smiled weakly and, after Nathan closed the door, she lifted the hem of her dress, and injected herself, watching the gun spark upon the kick back. _

_Now she was running, bald headed and barefoot, through the streets she had tried so hard to grow accustomed to. The girl hadn't a clue what she was running to, or from, for that matter, but she could feel a magnetic pull towards it deep in her bones. She felt eyes on her through the cracks in the ground, heard the music of the Genetic Opera wafting through the breeze like the stench of rotting food. Shilo felt the urge to vomit, to purge herself of everything it all reminded her of, but she couldn't. "You saw him in the graveyard…" A voice cut through Mag's final song, intruding Shilo's ears. She tried to blink away the hurt and the fear, but when she opened her eyes, all she could see was her father._

_They were on the stage of the Opera house, and she was cradling her father in her arms, sobbing. Tears streamed from her chocolate eyes, splashing and blending with the crimson that was smeared on and around Nathan's over coat. "Go and change the world for me," He half whispered, his voice hoarse. His head dropped back into the never ending sleep, and Shilo screamed. A scream that started low in her stomach and grumbled up through her throat, exploding through her mouth. It was a primal call of distress, and Shilo's whole body shook as she howled._

The girl's eyes snapped open, the scream from her dreams echoing through her brain. She sat upright with a jolt, cold sweat running in beads down her back. She grabbed at the sheets at her waist, pulling them up to her face to stifle her now silent tears. Sheets. Where did the sheets come from? Her green eyes stared at her hands, hands that were masked by the long black sleeves that covered them. After ripping the foreign sheets from her, she stared down at herself. She didn't recall changing…

The light that peered through the blinds of the window was tinted and grey, a product of all the smog and grit from the city. She stared hard at her surroundings. She now knew she was in Graverobber's house, and assumed she was in his room. The girl didn't recall falling asleep in his bed, though, nor did she recall ever even _owning_ anything with sleeves this long.

Slowly, Shilo swung her legs over the side of the bed, began walking towards the door. She looked down at herself, noticed how long the shirt was on her. It fell several inches longer than her original dress, which she couldn't be more thankful for. She hated that bare feeling.

The door creaked as she opened it, and she tried her best not to make a noise as she padded down the hallway. Shilo walked down the long, wooden hall until she came to familiar settings. The candles that had been lit around the couch were now extinguished, wax drippings piled up around the bottoms of each one. And in the center of them all, sprawled like a human sacrifice on the couch, was Graverobber. She couldn't help but stare at him in his slumber, watch the broad expanse of his chest as it rose and fell with each breath. Her eyes lingered on each part of him, his forearms, his chest, his face. A face she had only known when it was painted and masked. He looked so difference now compared to the Graverobber in her memory. He looked human, and years younger when he slept. It was all strange to Shilo. With the exception of her half conscious stumble into the bathroom (an experience she didn't count), she had never seen a man this up close. And curiosity got the better of her.

Shilo tiptoed closer to the man, finally coming to kneel down next to him. She examined every curve of his face, from the rough stubble on his clefted chin, to the broad stretch of skin that lay over his forehead. She lifted a timid hand to his face, and tried to smooth out the wrinkles by his eye lightly with her thumb. Her gaze traveled downward, and she began attempting to memorize every feature, every line in his carved chest. She noted his arms, how muscular they were. But then again, they had to be muscular to pick up and carry corpses so often, Shilo thought. One of his hands was rested against his stomach, and Shilo couldn't resist picking it up. She scrutinized it hard, noticing how calloused and cracked they were, noticed the nails looked like they would always be caked with some amount of dirt or grime, no matter how hard he scrubbed at them. She replaced his hand, and stared hard at the towel still wrapped around his waist. Could she? Shilo was so intrigued, so curious… She even managed to rest her fingers on the top of the towel. And then, she-

"Kid?" Graverobber's Zydrate blue eyes were open, still foggy from sleep, but very aware. Shilo gasped, and flew back, instantly on the other side of the room, her back pressed up against the wall. She brought her knees up to her chest.

"I'm… Sorry! I didn't mean… I, um," She stammered, burying her crimson face in her knees. Graverobber chuckled at her, and she instantly felt like a little kid, small, insecure, unable to do anything of her own volition.

"Good to see you're not dead!" Graverobber joked. "You hungry, kid?" He ignored the fact that she had been inches away from peeking under the towel. Though her face was still hidden, she nodded slightly. "You look good in my clothes," He spoke as he sat up, that Cheshire grin already planted on his face. Shilo turned an even deeper shade of red, and buried her head further. "Relax, kid!" He openly laughed, swung his legs forward to face her. "I took the liberty of changing you, you looked pretty beat up." His words weren't helping much; Shilo made no motion of gratitude. "Jesus, tough crowd. I didn't look, if that's what you're thinking." He resisted the urge to smile wider, having a feeling that would cause more harm than good. He got up and stretched, then strode quickly to his room. He returned wearing pajama pants, and went into the small kitchen.

After several minutes of silence, the only noise being Graverobber scraping and flipping whatever kind of food he was making, the man called from the other room. "There's food if you're hungry!" He walked out of the kitchen, eating a pancake. "C'mon," His speech was muffled by pancake and he nodded towards the kitchen. Shilo stood, looking more like a ghost than a person, and trudged towards the smell.

Graverobber was a surprisingly good cook. He watched as Shilo hunched over her plate and took a fork, hungrily stabbing at the food. "This is good!" She exclaimed, her mouth full as she wolfed it all down. The man smiled half a smile and moved to lean on the fridge. The kitchen was oddly light, considering the sunlight from outside was not much to go by, and it brightened Shilo's sore mood, if only slightly. "So," She began, her face still stuffed with pancake, "Do you do this often?" He raised an inquisitive eyebrow in her direction. "Take people in and stuff, I mean," Shilo clarified.

"Well, it's nice to see you can still talk!" Graverobber chuckled. Shilo blushed, but only a little. He knew she was strong. He had seen her extract Zydrate from the dead, a feat not many people could handle, especially at such a fragile age. "Nope," he shook his head. "Guess you just got lucky." He smiled wolfishly as he ripped into another pancake.

"Don't you ever use a fork?" Shilo mused.

"Unnecessary," He spoke through the pancake, and Shilo giggled. He was just glad to see her spirits brighter.

"My father always said 'the basis of good manners is self-reliance.' And you're here by yourself! Doesn't that make you self reliant?" Shilo mused. She had never understood her father when he said that, she felt like she only had good manners because Nathan drilled them into her.

"Kid, if no one's around to see my manners, why should I give a damn?" Graverobber pushed up from fridge, and pulled a seat for himself, sitting down across from her. He smiled, and took another bite of pancake. Shilo nodded. His logic made sense, and she liked it.

They ate in silence for a while, and for the first time in a long while, Shilo felt at home.

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**Reviews are always appreciated!**


	6. Creating a Rebel

**I would just like to say thank you to all the people who've been adding Changes to their favorites and story alerts, but it would be really neat if you could throw in a review every once in a while as well. Just saying :D**

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It was later that night when Shilo said it. "I need clothes…" She mused as she sat on the couch next to Graverobber. The two had sat there for quite some time now… The sun had gone down, and the moon had come up several hours ago. Graverobber didn't mind this, however, he was more of a night owl anyway. The two had tried to pass the time, making small talk and doing anything they could not to speak of Shilo's past. But this had been something Shilo had been thinking about since the moment her stomach was filled with food and she began thinking properly. Graverobber turned to look at her intently.

"What was that, kid?" His thoughts had been elsewhere, lingering on the way she came back to life, if only for a moment, after she woke up.

"Clothes," the girl began, "I can't just wear your shirt for the rest of my life…" It was a sentence that would have sounded like it was said as a joke, but Shilo said it with utmost sincerity, the most somber of expressions plastered to her face. Graverobber had gotten her to smile several times throughout the day, but she had been pretty blank for the bulk of their time together. She sat as still as a porcelain doll, her back straight and her hands resting uselessly in her lap. He looked at her with wonder. He had to do something to keep her from acting like the living dead. The man placed his hands on his knees and briskly stood up.

"Well, then!" He breathed, all showman once again. This was the Graverobber Shilo was used to. "I suppose we're going out." Shilo's brow furrowed.

"Outside? I… I don't want to go outside," She mumbled as she shook her head. She had said she wanted to go outside for as long as she could remember, but now she knew better. Outside was a scary place filled with scary people who only did scary things. She watched as Graverobber strode into his room.

"Yes, outside! Being trapped in a house can kill ya, kid." He said, very aware that that had been the first 17 years of her life. That kind of sheltering never ended well, and the evidence of that was already sitting on his couch. He reemerged minutes later, clad in black jeans, an old grey shirt, and some tattered black socks. Shilo turned and watched him go to the mirror in the hall and apply the black lipstick she was so used to seeing him in. Shilo pouted as she stared at him.

"Can't I stay here?" Graverobber turned from the mirror and stared at her. "I won't touch anything, or get in the way of your stuff, I promise! Just let me stay here!" Her voice was a panicked whimper, and he felt pity for the poor girl. But still, he shook his head.

"Nope," he chuckled, that damn grin still plastered to his lips. "You've gotta get out at some point." Shilo melted into the couch, a puddle of worry and fear. "Relax," he chuckled as he walked over to the girl, eventually coming to kneel on his haunches and stare up from below her. "I'm not gonna let you leave my sight. Everything doesn't go bump in the night, you know." He smiled and stood once more, walking behind the couch, tousling her hair as he passed to grab his jacket from the back of the couch. Shilo grimaced and fixed her hair. She felt only slightly better that Graverobber was going on this journey with her… After all, he had gotten her caught by the Repo Man upon their first encounter. But she guessed she didn't have to worry about that anymore. Shilo's thoughts grew morbid as they lingered on that night, the first time she was outside, the first time she saw her father in his true profession. She shuddered and stood, suddenly feeling the need to stretch her legs.

"Fine, I'll go. But do I have to wear this out?" Shilo gestured to the long shirt. It was longer than her dress had been, but she still felt awkward in the thing. Graverobber chuckled as he pulled his boots on.

"Not if you're okay with wearing that dirty old thing," he nodded towards the bathroom, and Shilo assumed that was where her dress had gone to be washed. Fully understanding the man's logic, she shuddered and shook her head.

"No thank you," She said as she walked past him and headed for the door. "Can we go now?" Graverobber didn't understand her sudden urgency, but he went with it.

He walked to the door with purposeful strides and finally opened the door, bowing deeply and gesturing with his hand for Shilo to leave the premises. "After you, Your Majesty," He spoke with mock dignity, and she let a small giggle slide through her lips as she skipped past him.

The door slammed with a finalizing crack, and they were outside. The cold night air whispered past Shilo's exposed legs, and she couldn't help but shiver. Seeing this, Graverobber immediately stripped off his jacket and swung it to her shoulders. He grinned as she stumbled under its weight. "So, where to, kid? Your place?" _My place?_ Shilo thought. She hadn't been to her house since before the opera, and in no way did she want to go back. "You've got clothes there, don'tcha?"

Shilo nodded meekly, but said, "I don't want to go there," in a voice so timid that Graverobber had to strain to hear it. He nodded slowly, understanding the underlying meaning in what she said.

The man thought for a moment. "Well, we'll just have to get you clothes some other way," He spoke like he already had a plan. Shilo followed him as he wove through streets and alleyways.

So," She began, trying to fill the silence that would inevitably grow as they walked, "Do you have a name?"

Graverobber chuckled and shook his head. "Kid, I don't even remember my name… People have called me Graverobber for so long that my name doesn't really exist anymore."

"So I have to call you 'Graverobber'? That's so… weird," Shilo shrugged.

"Don't give it too much thought kid, it doesn't really matter." He quickly brought an arm around Shilo's shoulders. She looked up at him, and he removed it as swiftly as he placed it there.

"Can I shorten it?"

"I don't care what you do with it, kid." He laughed down at her. "Well," he stopped walking abruptly, "Here we are." Shilo had barely noticed they had been moving, but they were now outside what she assumed was a store. She had never bought her own clothes; what her father didn't bring home for her was usually once belonging to her mother or some long forgotten relative. The store was dark, and she could tell no one was there.

"So, how do we…?" Her voice trailed off as Graverobber took his coat from her shoulders and wrapped it around his already fisted hand.

"Gonna have to make this quick!" He said as he thrusted his protected hand through the plated glass. No sooner did he do so than the alarms began blaring.

"What? Graverobber, what did you do? What the _fuck _did you do?" Shilo panicked, bringing her hands up to her ears to try and block out the noise.

"Aww, you cursed. It's cute!" he smiled as he hopped into the store. He could feel the girl's eyes glaring angry holes into the back of his head. "Relax, the Genecops don't respond to things like this for at _least_ a half hour. We've got time." He'd done this before, Shilo could tell. He extended a strong hand to help the girl into the window.

"Fuck you!" Shilo spat as she climbed in after him, disregarding his extended hand. Graverobber chuckled her string of profanity.

"You're gonna want to get stuff that'll protect your arms and legs. If you're gonna be hanging around, you're gonna need to not look so much like jail bait." He spoke truthfully as he looked her up and down, that Cheshire grin spread across his lips. Shilo rolled her eyes, panic still running rampant in her brain. She hurriedly picked up outfits left and right, just eyeballing whether things would fit her bony frame or not. She threw a few turtlenecks and and long pairs of black jeans and leather pants over her arm. Shilo couldn't help but also pick up a baby doll dress, one that was very reminiscent of the one she spent most of her time in when she was cooped in the house of the Repo Man. After taking several tank tops and mini skirts (mostly out of habit), a pair of boots and sneakers, she hopped out of the store window, followed by Graverobber, who was holding something lumpy and black.

"That was illegal, wasn't it?" Shilo couldn't help but grin. She already knew the answer.

"Kid, it's only illegal if you get caught," he said with a wink. Shilo giggled and sprinted with him back across town, letting adrenaline carry her.


	7. Relapse

**I'm sorry for how long this chapter has been taking… I've been searching relentlessly for last minute student loans, and it's been eating up my life. Definitely something that's worthy of life eating, but regardless, I wanted to get this chapter up because writing is a complete break from all the stress of my impending college future.** **I also wanted to especially thank NovemberxNightshade, for all the kind words… They made me wanna update as soon as I could!**

**A little late for this, but sadly, I don't own Repo! The Genetic Opera.**

The pair sprinted quickly to the apartment, flying as if wings had sprouted from their backs. Graverobber looked over at the girl as they ran, and was thrilled to see a grin spread across her teeth, plastered there like it had always existed. Their feet slapped hard pavement, splashed through puddles, and before they knew it, they were at the flat. When the door was finally slammed behind them, Shilo threw herself against the wall, panting like a dog, but she was all smiles. "Wow, what a rush!" She laughed, for an instant child like, with wonder and youth wild in her eyes. She brushed her white hair back from her eyes, for an instant forgetting her self consciousness, her need for perfection and order. The girl tracked muddy feet through Graverobber's apartment, humming to herself and spinning aimlessly.

This was a girl Graverobber had yet to see; this was a girl who had just experienced her first taste of some kind of happiness. She had been caged like a dog her entire life, then picked apart and spat on by the street. It was good to see her human again. "Jesus kid, if I knew you'd get off this much from just breaking and entering, I woulda brought you to the grave yard!" He laughed and sank to sit cross legged on the floor.

Shilo stopped spinning. "Can we go now?" All hints of giggling in her voice gone. Her eyes ignited like a fire started by someone crazed. There was some dangerous glimmer behind them, something Graverobber noted instantly. Something he'd seen in too many Zydrate addicts' eyes.

"Maybe some other time, kid. We'll start off your crime spree slow," he said, making light of the situation. "Now, as much as I hate to say it, go put on some clothes. You look like a ghost!" He nodded to her bony frame as he took in her suddenly vacant expression. She nodded and turned heel, grabbing various bits of clothing that she had tossed once she entered the house.

Graverobber waited patiently while she, no doubt, tried on every single article of clothing they had procured in their short time at the store. She eventually came out in an over-sized sweatshirt and a baggy pair of jeans, and plopped down on the couch. "Um," the man began, unsure of how to give a stolen present to the young girl, "here." He chucked the soft black material he'd been holding at Shilo, who caught it before it landed in a heap at her feet.

"Wow…" Shilo said. In her hands, she held a black leather jacket, one that ended below her hips and was covered in all sorts of buckles, buttons, and zippers. "What's this for?" This was not a question Graverobber was prepared to answer. He had gotten it so she wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb when they retrieved Z, but that wasn't something he was ready to tell the young surgery addict. Truth be told, the thought that she was addicted hadn't even crossed his mind until now.

"It's a present," he mumbled, "Just take it." Shilo's face brightened noticeably. She gave him a weak smile before getting up to put it in, what she now considered, her bedroom.

~x~

The night was still and dark as Shilo tossed and turned. Her headache was absolutely awful, far worse than any that she had had previously. Generally, she only got them in her sleep, and she assumed they were from her dreams; the girl did have quite a bit on her mind. But tonight was different. She had barely lay down before it began. It went from a dull pulsing behind her eyes, to something sharp that stabbed at every crevice of her brain, that squeezed her skull until she felt it would burst. Shilo had never experienced withdrawal this badly, but she usually wasn't without Z for this long. This was completely unfamiliar territory. She sat up and pressed her hands to her temples, crushing her eyes shut like it would end the pain. But the pressure behind them was building, and she could begin to feel her heartbeat through every vein in her body. She knew she had to do something.

Shilo crept from the bedroom to the couch where Graverobber lay. Even from beneath the thick leather of his jacket, she could faintly make out the blue glow from its pocket. Jackpot. It didn't take Shilo long to formulate a plot.

The girl had used the assets of her gender to get her way on the streets on more than one occasion. Granted, her mind had never been this clogged, but her plan didn't require too much thought, just coordination, luck, and if something went wrong, her powers of persuasion. The latter was something she had always believed she had, at least up until the night Graverobber found her, but Shilo brushed that thought from her mind. It hadn't killed her, so she hoped it had made her stronger.

The teen quickly and silently disrobed as best she could without falling over, and looked over to the jacket that still lay on the edge of the bed. It really was a fantastic jacket, and Shilo almost felt bad using it this way. Almost. She slipped the thing on and buckled it closed round her waist, then padded down the hallway.

_This is a stupid idea. Stupid stupid idea, and you're a stupid stupid girl_, a voice in the back of Shilo's head resonated. It cut through all the pain that was buzzing there for a brief second, but left as quickly as it came. She knew it was a stupid idea, but it was something she needed. Something to ease the pain, create some clarity, keep her sane. It had to work.

She stopped just short of Graverobber's couch. She watched him sleep for a minute, watched the steady rise and fall of his chest, watched the Zydrate in his pocket as, it too, rose and fell. _This is it,_ she thought and after taking a deep breath, she strode to him.

Shilo leaned in close to the man, could smell death and the street and something almost pleasant wafting from his skin. She placed a hand on his chest in an attempt to reach the Zydrate. The pocket was visible, but was not easy for the girl to get at. Slowly, she straddled him, hoping her hand would be more steady if she sat. Shilo could feel the room spinning and her eyes were fogging at a rapid pace, but she couldn't be deterred. She placed both her hands on his chest to steady herself. She felt him shift under her, and she froze. _Shit Shilo, look what you did, _the voice in her head panicked. But he didn't wake up, and she breathed a slow sigh of relief. She inched her left hand over to the pocket on the side of his chest, and couldn't help but smile when she reached it. She was so close that she could taste it. As cautiously as she could in her weakened state, she crawled her hand into the pocket.

It was too much. A hand flew there before she could try and blink. "Well, look at you, kid. All grown up." He groaned, his eyes fluttered open and already they pierced through the fog that was swimming in her brain. "If your motives were different, I would take this as a righteous step forward. Are you even wearing anything under that?" He openly laughed, almost mocking her attempt to get what she needed. She felt his other hand on her thigh, inching its way up to her torso to wrap around her back. "I guess you're not." He chuckled after feeling around for his answer. "I give you kudos for trying, kid, but you've got a ways to go," he laughed as he held onto the hand still in his pocket.

It was only then that his eyes traveled to her face. His amusement was cut short. "Damn you look bad." He stated as he sat up, noticing the smallest bead of sweat trickle down her now ashen forehead. Shilo mumbled some reply, but it sounded nothing like English. "Christ, kid." Graverobber attempted to stand, but the mostly dead weight that was on his legs wasn't helping his cause. "Kid?" he nudged her, but she didn't move. Her legs were still on either side of his hips, but her head was slumped and her eyes were now rolling. Graverobber sighed and swung one of her legs to the other side, so he could stand. He picked her up with far too much ease and carried her back to the bedroom, something he hoped wasn't going to become an every night thing.

After she was safely laid on the bed, he lit a candle so he could see her better. Shilo looked waxy, felt like ice. Graverobber had seen bad Zydrate withdrawals before, but he had rarely ever taken care of one. He wasn't sure _what_ to do in this situation, but he knew he couldn't leave her like this. He would never let her know, but he cared too much. "You'd think they'd make a handbook or something about this…" He grumbled as he stood to go to the hall closet. She had been as cold as a corpse, and blankets would only help the cause.

After grabbing a large comforter, he walked purposefully into the bedroom. He had meant to lay the blanket over Shilo's skeletal body, but he came into the room just in time to see her twist to the floor, writhing and twitching in every joint her body would allow. "Fuck!" He exclaimed as he dropped the blanket, running to her. A constant stream of curses left Graverobber's black lips as he pulled a vial of Zydrate from his pocket. This wasn't something he had ever wanted to do. Shilo had been the one symbol of purity and hope in this God forsaken city he called home, and he was now loading it up with illegal narcotics. But he didn't know what else to do. His mind was working in over drive and he couldn't think of anything else end the shaking. After loading the vial into the gun, he lifted the hem of her leather jacket and injected the drug into her thigh. He couldn't help but notice the scarring and puckering of her flesh there, most likely all left from other dealers. He'd kill them.

It took several minutes, but the girl's writhing gradually turned to twitching, which slowly faded into oblivion as her breathing steadied and her pulse evened. _Thank God_, Graverobber thought, and he finally lifted her into the bed. After pulling the covers up around her, he threw himself next to her. This was not a night she would be spending alone.

**There are some parts of this that I feel kind of "meh" about, but whatever… I wanted to get it up for all of you (insert 'that's what she said' here). Please let me know that this chapter isn't a complete fail.**


	8. Protege

**Before I start, I need to give a special thanks to word. whisperings ****for an absolutely fantastic review:D Now, CHAPTER!**

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The next morning Shilo woke with a start. Her sleep had been that of the dead. Big, black, vacant... Her mind was a fuzzy blur, startlingly empty for all that she knew she had done the night before. The girl remembered crawling on top of Graverobber, remembered snaking her hand into his pocket, and then all recollection faded. But judging by the fact that she was awake and aware, she assumed she had got what she needed. And as she considered the man that she just realized was sleeping soundly next to her, she assumed she knew how she had gotten it, though she didn't recall anything happening. She watched him sleep, and secretly wished she could remember. An event that momentous was something she wanted to keep stored in her mind. Shilo stretched and then rolled over to face him.

"G'morning…" She yawned, watched as his eyes snapped to attention at the sound of her voice.

"Kid! You're up. Ha, that's good news," he tried to joke, but she could hear his voice was tired and strained. Shilo nodded.

"Why wouldn't I be?" She sounded oddly chipper, Graverobber noted. "So…" She began, her approach suddenly awkward. "Did we…?" He looked at the young girl with an eyebrow raised.

He laughed openly, got full satisfaction as he watched that crimson blush flash across Shilo's face. "You were pretty fucked up last night, you know that? What kind of man would I be to take advantage of you in your weakened state?" Shilo stared at her lap, confused.

"So… We didn't, then."

"No. No we didn't." The man watched as the gears in Shilo's brain slowly turned, his grin ever present.

"Then… Why are you here?" She questioned, suddenly fragile. She pulled the sheets that Graverobber's body wasn't pinning down up to her chest. He laughed, and she glowered at him.

"I got tired of sleeping on the couch, kid. This _is_ my room you know," He smirked in that lopsided way he so often did, and Shilo sunk further into the bed. "Besides, you were in pretty deep… If you died in my bed I don't know if I'd want to sleep in it anymore." She tried to take his words in stride, but this wasn't the predicament Shilo had envisioned it would be. It was strange, she noted… She felt more violated that he had just spent the night with her than she would have if he had done… other things. A product of spending so much time on the street, she supposed. "Now, get up. We've got things to do." He rolled out of the bed as if he'd never been sleeping, and walked to the kitchen.

"Things?" Shilo wondered aloud.

"Kid, I can't let you bum around with me if you're just gonna be dead weight," he called as he rifled through cupboards to find some form of food. In all honesty, he knew he would gladly just bullshit the hours by with her, listen to her little voice as it spoke of little things, watch her be just as damned, and just as beautiful as she'd always been, try to keep her that sheltered rose that he had admired from the second he met her in the graveyard. Because she was special when she was untouched. But she needed to get out. The minuscule nurturing instinct that ticked in the back of his head every time he looked at her told him it wasn't healthy for her to just stay in the apartment. "You need to do something other than pass out on me." Mock exasperation laced his voice. "So we'll go propagating. My supply's running thin," he stopped talking for a moment to stare deliberately at the girl who followed him into the kitchen, "And I'll be damned if I don't need an extra pair of hands." He found a sleeve of crackers, and after ripping it open, held it out to Shilo. When she shook her head, he dove into it.

"Sorry," she mumbled. She wanted to say a thousand things to Graverobber, but her tongue was no where to be found. She wanted to thank him for taking her in, for giving her the Zydrate she had so strongly needed, for putting up with how little she really knew of the world, even though the streets had given her a lighting fast review lesson. She wanted to thank him for caring, even though she knew he would never admit that he did.

"We're leaving in ten, make sure you're ready," he said, his face stuffed with cracker.

"Will we be," she paused and took a breath in order to say it, like it was some curse that would burn her tongue, "dealing?" She had conquered her fears of being outside; so long as Graverobber was with her, she figured she was okay. But the thought of being on the other end of the spectrum whilst roaming the very streets she had once been forced to reside on gave her chills.

"_I_ will be dealing, _you _will be watching. _You _will be silently observing and staying out of the way until," _Until I can trust you with this,_ he might has well have said, "you're ready." Shilo understood. Even though Graverobber tastefully refrained from bringing up last night's… adventure, Shilo thought could still feel the air become tense around him. She only wished she could remember what had happened thoroughly.

She watched as he threw two zydrate guns and a plethora of little glass vials into several compartments of his bag. "Let's go." he said, and extended an arm to the girl, which she accepted, glad that his icy demeanor disappeared as quickly as it had come.

The streets were dark, as they always were when they went outside. The more Shilo thought about it, the more she realized that they permanently seemed to be dark… She couldn't remember a moment when true sunlight had ever shown through the thick layer of smog and grime that hovered above Crucifixus. Her eyes adjusted quickly to the darkness and she unwound her arm from Graverobber's. Shilo followed him to, what she assumed would be, one of the many indoor cemetaries that the city had to offer. They arrived to unfamiliar territory. The girl breathed a small sigh of relief, glad to know the graveyard behind her house was not where they had stopped.

After looking behind him to make sure no Genecops were lurking, Graverobber silently slipped through the gate. Shilo noticed how fluid his movements were when he was trying to be stealthy. It was like he had the power to transform from this large hulk of a man into a feline at the drop of a hat. He crept to a grave, and inaudibly beckoned for her to follow suit. The girl tried, but tripped over a stone in her path, making an audible "Oof!" as she fell to her knees.

"Shh!" Graverobber said as he pressed a finger to his dark lips, his eyes momentarily wide. When she finally crawled over to him, he continued, subdued, "Not so graceful now, are we?" Shilo could hear the laughter in his voice, but she ignored it, thankful that the darkness covered her reddening face. "Never mind, come here," he pulled her roughly behind another grave stone as a spotlight passed by where she had been sitting previously. "Amber's been a real bitch since she took over Geneco. They do more than shoot you on sight if you're caught nowadays." He said, as if to apologize for tugging her so.

"What's worse than automatic death?" She questioned. Graverobber's laugh was a dark grumble, and he began to explain to the girl that knew nothing.

"Thing's changed since you left, kid. Now that Amber's running Geneco, she can do whatever she wants with it. And if she thinks taking non Geneco organs is more cost effective, so be it." He shook his head. "She empties you out, then buries you with what you were robbing."

"But… How would that work?"

"You're asking the wrong person, kid. All I know is not to get caught. Now watch," he said, glad to change the subject. He dug his hands through the dirt in front of him, until he felt soft plastic bend at his fingertips. Shilo noticed how shallow the graves were… She had once read that people were usually buried six feet into the ground in one of the many books her father provided her with. But the book must have been published a long time ago, because now there was barely enough room to store the dead. Her mind wandered as she pondered whether they buried bodies on top of each other, or if they all had their own plot of land. She wondered what the differences were between the people buried in the graveyard, and the people she had seen upon her first encounter with Graverobber, all naked and rotting and piled on top of each other in heaps and mountains.

"Your turn." Graverobber's voice pulled Shilo from her silent reverie. She had barely been paying attention to what the man had been showing her, but her memory from the past was still pretty sharp. She recalled Graverobber instructing her on how to insert the Zydrate needle into the corpse's skull… She only prayed she could do it again. Shilo took the gun from Graverobber, and looked at the body he had uncovered while she had been thinking. Its flesh was half rotted, skull showing part way through where its scalp used to be. Her emerald eyes stayed locked in disgust at the corpse's eyes, which were permanently open as the things' eyelids were almost non existent. It smelled rancid, and her eyes watered as she tried her best not to vomit.

"It's staring at me," she whispered, her eyes locked to those of the dead.

"Ignore it," Graverobber commanded. "You know what to do."

Shilo took a deep breath as she placed the needle where its nose would have been. She attempted to slap it into the remnants of the corpse's skull, squeezing her eyes shut. She missed completely, and the needle slid through decaying flesh on its cheek. Instead of glowing blue Zydrate, gray pallid matter was sucked into the vial in chunks, and Shilo openly gagged. "That's gross!" She exclaimed, holding her nose with her spare hand.

"Such a kid," Graverobber rolled his eyes and handed her the other gun. "Try again, and maybe open your eyes this time." Shilo begrudgingly took the gun and held it by the corpse's nose once more, eyes now squinted. "Ew ew ew ew ew," She muttered under her breath as she wedged the needle into its nose.

"Now smack it," the man next to her prompted, and she did as she was told. Shilo felt the needle make a small pop through membrane, and then a very dull blue glow drifted into the vial.

"I did it… I did it! Did you see that? I did it!" She celebrated triumphantly. Graverobber smiled at her. "Wait, why is it so dull looking?" She questioned. She had always known Zydrate to be something pure and deep, something that could light up the area like a nightlight, but she could barely even see around the vial.

He smiled over at her, proud that she was asking worthwhile questions. "Look at this corpse, kid. It's been dead for a pretty long time. The fresher the body, the fresher the Z." Shilo nodded; it did make sense, even if it was incredibly morbid.

The pair worked quickly after that, attempting to harvest as much of the drug as they could. But Graverobber never let Shilo leave his side. He was worried she would sneak some of the product into her sweatshirt pocket, which was something he would prevent from happening at all cause. If Shilo was addicted, there was no hope for the rest of humanity.

"I think we're done for now," he said, slipping the gun into his bag. "C'mon, we've got places to be." Shilo gulped. She didn't want to be on the streets again, even if she was just staying in the background.

~x~

They entered Graverobber's alleyway by the Zydrate Support Network and were greeted by a flock of them. Shilo recognized a few of them from her out of town alley, and it chilled her as she realized they traveled all this way to see the man she was staying with. She attempted to hid behind him, but he moved too quickly, coat swishing like a cape as he moved. He was the king of this street, and everyone there knew it. Shilo pressed her back against the wall and tried to be invisible.

"Graverobber," it was almost a chant that whispered its way through the alley.

"Ladies," he bowed towards several of the scalpel sluts, Zydrate gun in his extended arm. They flocked around it like it was a reincarnate of Jesus himself. Shilo noticed immediately how flamboyant Graverobber was in his dealing. She watched a girl circle him as if she was a predator, watched her run her hands over his chest and come to rub herself against him. She watched as he smirked cockily at her and held out his hand. The woman grumbled and pulled several coins from her pocket, depositing them into his palm. Satisfied, Graverobber backed her against a wall, keeping his eyes locked to hers until she was backed into a corner. Shilo heard her whimper something that sounded much like, "Do it." And that he did. He knelt before her and injected her thigh. She sighed in relief as the glow pumped from the vial to her veins, and she slid down the wall. Shilo watched him do the same type of dance with several more of them. When he spoke to them, it always sounded like it was something intimate, something that was kept between friends or lovers. But the chit chat always ended in the same way, and eventually the crowd had thinned out to ten or so people. That was when she heard it.

"YOU!" The large woman bellowed, her obscenely blood red hair shone in the glow of a nearby street light. "Hey, you! What the _fuck_ are you doing here?" She stomped towards Shilo, overpowering her without even touching her. "Hadn't seen you for a while," she spoke silently and quickly to herself, "thought you'd died. Was _hoping _you died, actually." Her voice grew louder, almost into a scream. "What the _fuck_ are you doing here? What the _fuck_ are you doing with _him? _ You little _slut!_ What, one grave robber's not enough, now you have to fuck _TWO? _You _whore! _" Shilo cowered, instantly bug sized, and the woman spoke softly again, "I was hoping he snapped your little neck, stupid bitch should know better than to cut in front of her elders." She had looked away from Shilo as she spoke to herself, but when she boomed, her teal cat eyes glared angrily into her skull, "I'll kill you my _fucking_ self, you little _brat_!" The woman's meaty hands were at Shilo's throat before she could begin to try and say anything.

Graverobber turned in half a second. "Hey!" He snapped, his electric eyes wide. The woman's hands were at her sides immediately, and she stared up at him with a vacant expression. "And what do you think you're doing?" He strode to the woman as if nothing had just happened. He tapped his foot with his arms crossed, waiting for an explanation.

"Well, you see… She was, I was…" She stuttered, instantly lost in his eyes the way most people where when fixed with them.

"We're done here." Graverobber decided he didn't need to dignify her answer. "Kid!" He called, extending an arm to the girl. Shilo was still catching her breath, but she ran to take it. They walked past the large woman, Graverobber muttering an "Excuse me," as he pushed past her frame, and they walked quickly from the alley. Perhaps it was in relief, or perhaps it was just the child in Shilo, but she couldn't help but turn to stick her tongue out at the fuming lady. It could only get better from here.

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Well! This chapter's definitely a bit longer than the others, so I hope you enjoy. As always, reviews make me an ecstatic individual :D**


	9. Discovery

**I'm sorry for the lack of updating lately... There's been general life issues combined with college orientation combined with work and all of the above have completely eaten my liiiiiiiife! I actually wrote this chapter on a train ride back from said orientation :D So, thank you to dollfacen' pipe and Aras Potter for their reviews, and thank you to those who have put Changes in their favorites and story alerts! But reviews are awesome, too… Just saying…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Repo!, blah blah blah...**

"I just lost a customer for you, kid," Graverobber spoke begrudgingly. They had been walking the shadows in silence for quite a while before he spoke. "You wanna tell me what that was all about?"

"Sorry," Shilo murmured. Truth be told, she didn't want to relive it. Seeing that vile woman brought what she had tried to forget back to her, crashing down like lightning to a block of marble. This wasn't where she belonged, which was something she had known from the beginning. Sure, she tried to fit in, tried to blend with the estranged crowd, but she couldn't fool herself. This place wasn't an escape; it was hell. There were times Shilo wished she could crawl back into her own bed, curl up in Daddy's lap and wait for the monsters to go away. But the world was a monster. Nathan had been right: it was cruel here.

"Well?" They had stopped walking, and Graverobber's eyes were fixed on the girl.

"I, um, knew her." Shilo stated, trying to suppress the flashback that was bound to happen. The man staring down at her laughed in that openly dark way of his.

"No shit, sherlock! She was an angry broad, wasn't she?" His black lips curled into a smile and he continued walking. Laughter was still in his voice when he spoke. "But I wanna know _why_. What could you have possibly done to piss that chick off so much?" Shilo's breath came up short. She had never done anything other than get her fix first. And the reasoning for that was obvious; it didn't take a genius to figure. So why was Graverobber even asking? "I can wait all night, you know… I want an answer," he said.

"I… I went before her… But… I couldn't pay… So, I did what I had to do," The girl of 18 tried to sound strong, but her story was pathetic. They both knew how it ended.

"Uh huh. And that went really well, didn't it?" He teased, layers of sarcasm not very hidden beneath the surface.

That was it. Something broke inside of Shilo, and that muted wall she had learned to keep up crumbled apart. "Shut up!" she snapped, hurt that someone could ever make light of such a disgusting situation.

"Woah, she has fangs!" Graverobber was taken aback. She was always so quiet, it was rare to hear her speak that forcefully. "Chill out, kid, I was only kidding."

"I said shut up!" A weak hand swung out and slapped the man's face. He was stunned, but made no motion to show it. "Who _are_ you? Who are you to judge me? You don't even know me!" Her entire body shook with anger, "I've only ever even met you three times, and you think you have the right to judge me? You rob graves, you… You _fuck_ your buyers! But the second something like this happens, you're all judgmental? Fuck you! I don't need you!" Shilo couldn't control herself. Tears streamed from her surgically enhanced eyes, and her voice cracked as she screamed nonsense and rage. And it only grew louder as she realized Graverobber was laughing at her in the darkness of the alley.

He didn't mean to laugh, but Shilo could throw a tantrum with the best of them. Watching her get that aggravated _was_ a little funny to him. But he knew her immature fit was getting too loud. And as amusing as he found it, he knew it had to stop. If Genecops found him and Shilo because of something as stupid as noise, they would be in for some serious turmoil.

Graverobber grasped her flailing arms at the wrists, pushed her against a grimy wall. Shilo went quiet within an instant. "This is exactly why you need me," He hissed, his breath whispering past her face.

Shilo could feel him, every inch of his body pressed against hers as he attempted to keep her tantrum from climaxing. She noticed how cold his forehead was against hers, much like the alabaster it so closely resembled. And then her eyes were lost, completely mesmerized by the wave of blue that stared back at her. Shilo's mind went blank and her fit of teenage angst was almost forgotten.

"This is the life you've chosen," He whispered, his mouth dangerously close to hers. "You wanna fuck it up more? Be my guest, you were doing an excellent job at that on your own. But if you wanna fix it, you _need_ me." He lingered there another minute, strangely enjoying the feel of Shilo shivering against him.

Though he attempted to hide it, he sincerely did care for the girl. He had tried his best to be understanding and warm for her, but that had never been who he truly was. And every time she whined, moped, did some petulant, childish thing, the pity and empathy he had for this alluring girl evaporated ever so. He had enjoyed Shilo's childish ways since he met her, but they were now becoming more of a nuisance than a joy. She had to learn to grow up.

That was when he heard her. It wasn't words that she spoke, but it wasn't that frightened whimper he had grown so used to hearing. It was something else. Almost a sigh. Graverobber snapped out of his thoughts to see her eyes were closed, to feel that her hands had snaked to his elbows. Her breathing was no longer heavy, ragged, angry, but slow and light. She opened her eyes, still doe-like and fragile, but they were almost pleading.

"I just want to forget," Shilo looked at the ground, as if she were embarrassed to have said it. "I want to forget everything…" Tears were in her eyes and her voice, and Graverobber instantly felt awful. _"I shouldn't have snapped, god _damn_it!_"His thoughts berated him. The girl needed a slow build up to reality, not for its harsh light to smack her in the face. "_You're an idiot!"_

Graverobber noticed how Shilo seemed to have the power to bend the fabric of what he was made of. She had the ability to turn him from the hardened calloused person he always had been, to someone who… who felt bad about things! It was a foreign feeling, and he hated it.

But when Graverobber finished rebuking himself, he tried to stay focused on the quavering girl before him. Even with genetic enhancement, even with no grasp of reality, even with that horrendous scar across her face, Shilo Wallace was beautiful. And her eyes still begged, "Please, please help…" He sighed. "_Fuck it_," he thought, and brought his lips to hers. It was something he had silently always wanted to do, but that he'd never allow himself to indulge in.

He felt Shilo sigh against him as he removed his hands from her wrists and placed them on either side of her face. He could taste the newness of her, feel her lips press awkwardly against his. He realized then that she'd probably never done this before. It was almost an exotic thing… He got his kicks from street trash, from filth that had been so many places it made him shudder to think about. But Shilo, beneath the plastic insecurity, was still pure.

Graverobber pressed closer to the girl, and she threw her arms around his neck, weaving her hands through his already knotted hair. The man's mind was gone momentarily, and common sense was replaced with hunger. Hunger he had kept quiet since the first time he laid eyes on her in the graveyard. His tongue felt its way along Shilo's perfect mouth until she invited him in. Graverobber could feel himself slipping, feel his thoughts going south as his hand wandered the girl's collarbone. It was a feeling he'd not had in a long time. He fucked girls for the sake of idle amusement, but never with the heat and passion he felt from this one moment.

Shilo pulled herself impossibly closer to him, before hiking her legs up around his waist, deepening the kiss.

_"No_," the smallest voice piped up from the back of his mind, but he tried to ignore it. Tried to forget common sense as she pushed herself against his hips. Tried to remember why he took her from the street that night as she ducked from his lips to kiss his neck. He tried to remember, but he could only focus on the heat emanating from between them. She had been… She had been… Pure! That was it. She had been pure. And untouched. She had been-

"Shilo," his voice came ragged in his throat, stopping the girl in her tracks. She would stay Shilo. She would not be lost this way.

Graverobber stepped away from the wall, dropping the girl with his perverse thoughts. "You're not quite ready for the big leagues, kid," He tried to laugh the encounter off like nothing had happened, but they were both visibly stunned.

"Really?" She giggled, wide eyes staring at the seemingly new appendage in Graverobber's pants.

If his face wasn't painted, Graverobber would have been blushing like a mad man. "C'mon," He grabbed Shilo's hand and they continued the trek home. He tried to think of unpleasant things to end the embarrassment. _Corpses, dead puppies, Amber_… The last one did the trick, and he breathed a sigh of relief. He then looked at the girl who strode next to him. Graverobber was glad she had chosen to stay with him; it would give her the chance to learn everything. "_And I _will_ teach her everything_," he vowed to himself, suddenly seeing more promise in such a task than he had seen previously.

"Kid, you've got a long ways to go," Graverobber said, still trying to catch his breath. She didn't answer him, but he could see her smiling from the corner of his eye. This was going to be interesting.

**Reviews make me smile, but flamers will be sent to the dungeons! **


	10. New Beginnings

**I'm so sorry for the wait on this chapter! Every time I sit down to write, life just seems to get in the way… Any way, many thanks as always to angelfan86, Gryffindor'sSlytherinPrincess, Super Spazzaroid, Aras Potter, and MISS-DEATH-WAS-HERE. Your reviews are the reason I keep writing!**

**I own nothing but my thoughts, in case that wasn't obvious already.**

It had been several weeks since the incident in the alleyway. Graverobber had attempted to keep things as normal as he could, given the circumstances. They would go propagating, they would go dealing, they would sit in the flat or in a dumpster and make small talk. But every time he looked at her, every time he even _thought_ about her, he was reminded of the way he had felt that night. It had been more than that primal hunger he once felt towards Amber or any desperate addict whenever they came to him, it was more of a glowing warmth. Some kind of comfort that he hadn't felt in the longest of times.

Shilo would go through the occasional withdrawal, and it pained him to help her through them now more than ever. He wished there was some way to help her through that suffering. But he was learning, filling her body with less Zydrate as time wore on, and the spells gradually became less frequent. The pair of them walked in silence from the graveyard to the Zydrate Support Network.

"You ready to try selling?" He asked nonchalantly, striding calmly to their destination. Shilo looked at him and shrugged. Her confidence had grown since their… encounter, and she had stopped being such a damn mute, something Graverobber was thankful for.

"I think I've been ready for _weeks_!" She laughed, "I've only seen you do it, what, a hundred times now?" Shilo had stayed quiet in the shadows by Graverobber for each trip to the ZSN that they made, intently watching the way he set each customer up and knocked them down. She was enamored by their interactions with the enigma that he was, and Shilo was more than anxious to try her hand at dealing.

"Let's go then," He extended his arm to her, and they strode into the alley.

Shilo was brimming with confidence as they came to the entrance of the Zydrate Support Network. She felt as if she was feeding off Graverobber's energy, stealing it from him just by being attached at the arm. She could feel all eyes turn to them as they strode in, and it was fantastic. It was this feeling of power that Shilo had never experienced… kind of like the thrill of sneaking out of what used to be her home, and the rush of Zydrate all rolled in to one. Shilo felt invincible. But the second Graverobber went to business, the second he unhitched himself from her, she was alone. The confidence she had had left her as quickly as it had come, and the power that was briefly there evaporated.

Shilo attempted to pedal their wares to several addicts, but most of them sneered and turned away, magnetically drawn to the man that had accompanied her there. The stares that had given her confidence were now cold and empty; they saw right through her until she was invisible.

And she was back to the start, waiting in the shadows until Graverobber had finished what the pair had set out to do.

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"Graverobber?" Shilo asked as they walked, "How do you _do _it?" The man next to her cocked his head.

"Do what, kid?"

"You know, _sell_ the stuff. They don't seem to want any of it from me!" She whined, her youth plainly visible.

"Well, it's like this, kid," He took a breath, trying to think of the best way to explain. She certainly did ask some good questions, "When you're selling the drug, it's kind of like selling yourself." Shilo stared at him blankly and stopped walking.

"… Selling yours-… What?"

"People don't just come to me for Z, squirt, they come for the personality that gives it to them. If you don't have the personality, you don't have a thing. You just need to give the folks what they want." Shilo nodded, but had a hard time comprehending anything Graverobber said.

"But how do you know-"

"What it is they're looking for? Oh, everyone has their own way of telling you. It's all in the body language, kid. See, each person's different in what it is they want from you. Some people just wanna have a decent conversation. A friend, you know? So they'll say a few words, maybe flash you a smile, and then you've got to be the happiest fucking person on Earth until however long it takes for them to give you the money." He mimicked his words as he spoke, smiling at Shilo as if they'd been the best of friends forever and spreading his arms wide.

"Hey, long time no see! How've you been? You look fantastic, new surgery on your eyes, I see… I like 'em!" His voice boomed as his arms enveloped the girl who was so entranced by him. She laughed at the gesture until Graverobber removed himself from her.

"Then, there are other folk. You're _far_ more likely to get a preener on your first time. Well, your first _real_ time," he laughed, but stopped when he saw Shilo staring up defiantly at him.

"At least I tried!" She pouted, an irresistible lip jutting out from her pale face.

"Whatever you say, kid, whatever you say," Laughter still lingering in his words.

"What's a preener?"

"I'm sure you've come across quite a few in your time, kid. It's not like you haven't ever been on the streets or anything." He looked to Shilo's face for an immediate reaction to his words, but she did an excellent job of masking whatever feelings on the subject she had.

"Tell me anyway. I want the full lesson." She grinned, spine straightening slightly to attention.

"Fine," he groaned with a smile and continued, "The preeners are the ones who just… stare," His eyes locked on to the face of the girl before him. An idea was forming in the back of his head, and he decided to have fun with this whole lesson thing.

Graverobber walked closer to Shilo, circling her tightly as he spoke in a low, gravelly voice, "They're generally scalpel sluts, and they wanna see how close they can get before you SNAP!" His voice became a shout in her ear, and Shilo jumped noticeably. Never ceasing to circle, he went on, "The key with these ones is not to do that. Don't stop talking, but don't talk directly to them. You could say the same thing to every single one of them, but until you have their attention and respect, they won't stop."

"Buuuuuut, how do I get that?" Shilo's voice was soft. She could feel the wind around her being picked up from Graverobber's jacket, felt it whisper past her bare legs and shivered slightly.

"You let them touch you. You talk to them, and let them do as they please…" Graverobber picked at Shilo's white hair, tucked a strand of it behind her ear, and then began snaking his finger across her stomach as he passed her. She stayed tense, but that feeling from weeks prior was beginning to pool in the pit of her stomach. "…To an extent." He had stopped circling her, now standing directly in front of the girl. "The second things get… creepy, you pull out the gun," he patted a pocket of his coat, the one with the Zydrate gun safely nestled in it.

"But the last kind are the trickiest," Shilo had a feeling she already knew what the last kind was; she had found herself in that category once. Graverobber stepped to Shilo until they were nose to nose in the middle of the alley. He slipped his hands through her unzipped jacket to place them on her waist. He closed his eyes and breathed her in, bringing his face to her neck and speaking into her collar. "They leave you flustered," hesitantly, he placed his lips to her jugular, began planting soft kisses along her jawline as his hands roamed her waist and back. Secretly, he was delighted that she didn't protest. "And… distracted," he continued his speech between kisses. Shilo was automatically a puddle in his arms. And though she tried her best not to move, she could feel herself melting. "They try to keep you… occupied," He nipped at Shilo's ear, and smiled against her as he heard her sigh. His hands continued to roam, and while one lingered at the small of her back, the other fished its way into her inside pocket. He was easily able to wrap his fingers around a small glass vial that lay within. "So they can get what they want." Graverobber removed his mouth from her neck, and brought it lightly to her lips, just barely touching them.

"And… what do they want?" Shilo breathed, air becoming constricted in her throat at the older man's touch.

"Isn't that obvious?" He purred against her mouth and lifted his hand from her pocket. The glow of the vial shone against the skin on her face. Shilo's brows knit together.

"Hey!" She yelled, pulling away from him.

Graverobber laughed and gave the vial back to Shilo with a flourish. "You've gotta stay aware, kid! The key with these ones is you've gotta desensitize yourself. Because otherwise, they _will_ get the best of you." That cheshire grin was planted firmly on his mouth as he watched too many emotions flicker across Shilo's face. There was anger, annoyance… Disappointment?

"Well, how do I do that? Desensitize myself, I mean…" She asked, now staring at her feet.

Graverobber smiled warmly down at her. "I'm sure you'll get it eventually, kid." He patted Shilo on the head and began walking to the flat.

More thrown and confused than she thought possible, Shilo ran after him, calling a meager "Wait up!" to the back of his head.

**Reviews make me happy! Hit that pretty button down there… You know you really want to :D**


	11. Control

**So remember that time when I went to college and had huuuuuuuuuge writer's block while I was settling in, so I didn't update for a long time? Yeah, that's kind of what's going down right now… But it ends today! So many thank you's to my lovely reviewers, some old and some new, for asking for an update! My head would probably still be in the clouds if it weren't for you guys, which wouldn't be goodxD **

**Many a thank you to _fallenfaeangel, remember4ever, youngandreckless412_, **_**Elle - Vee16, stupidamericanidioms91, Selene Ruby Rose Snape, Jambled Distress, Gryffindor'sSlytherinPrincess, Thatchickfromthatplace, Aras Potter, MISS - DEATH - WAS - HERE, **_** and **_**Princess - Sparkly - Swirls. **_**I don't think I'd be writing this still if it weren't for all of you :D**

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"Who's this new bitch?"

"Where did she come from?"

"I'm glad she's working with him."

"_Why_ is she working with him?"

"I wonder if they're fucking!"

The Zydrate Support Network was brimming with people, all chattering and gossiping amongst themselves. It seemed word had spread about the new girl like wild fire, and it had customers lining up. The alley was harder to move in than it usually was; people were packed like sardines just to get a glimpse of the pair at work. And though she was no where near perfected, Shilo was getting the swing of things. She wasn't nearly as polished as Graverobber, but she was definitely growing herself a reputation. Business was over-ripe, and the Zydrate Support Network was flooded as ever with scalpel sluts and addicts.

The girl noticed one thing almost immediately since she started working. When Shilo had watched Graverobber perform in the past, she had seen his clientele was very heavily female. This wasn't something that surprised her… Graverobber oozed charm from every pore, turned Zydrate into some overtly sexual thing that they all seemed to need. The women flocked to him in vain attempts to win his affections, but it always ended with the drug in their veins.

But now that Shilo had stepped up to the plate, things were definitely evening out. It now seemed she had become desirable merely by association to him. Men young and old were coming to her now, begging her for Zydrate or sex or whatever else they could possibly fathom. One of them had even asked if he could massage her feet in exchange for Z, something Shilo declined almost as soon as the question was spoken. All of the attention was flustering at first; Shilo had never been around that many men in her entire life. But she was learning through experience how to handle them, with occasional pointers from Graverobber along the way.

As she worked, she thought of Graverobber. She had never really thanked him for taking her in, and she felt rotten about that. He had done so much for her, and even though he flustered her in ways she didn't understand, made her feel things she'd never felt, she knew she owed him at least that.

Her eyes roamed the area around her, and rested only for a second on him. She couldn't help but watch the way he worked sometimes… Everything was always so flawless, no matter the customer. Shilo was fairly certain he could smooth talk a brick wall into buying from him; that he could melt it just by looking at it. This was something Shilo couldn't help but envy, even though she was establishing her own brand of flair in the alley. She wanted to have that level of control.

"Hey," an addict came shuffling towards her, his eyes cast towards the ground.

"Hello there," Shilo's voice was warm an inviting, at least she liked to think it was. The boy moved his head to look at her, and he gave a half hearted smile. His cheeks were sunken in and sallow; dark circles bagged beneath his brown eyes. "You have a name?" She jumped to perch herself on the dumpster behind her, legs now crossed as she tried to evaluate him. It was a skill that she had caught on to quickly enough, with a little help from Graverobber.

He let out what sounded like a small laugh, and sighed. "It's Tristan." Shilo cocked her head as she took him in.

"Huh, good name. And what brings you here, Tristan?" She knew why he was there, what he wanted. He was at the ZSN for the same reason as everyone else. But there was something almost innocent in his eyes, something scared and unsure.

Tristan shuffled his feet and stared up at her. "I… Um… Well, I need… Well, you know." Shilo arched an eyebrow, and couldn't help but smile.

"You've never done this before, have you, Tristan?" Shilo could tell just in the way he stood. He didn't look like the kind who needed the drug; he didn't even look like he knew what he was signing up for. But Shilo wasn't about to tell him and lose a sale.

Sure, the Zydrate high was nearly orgasmic while you were in it, but the dependency and the withdrawals that would come later were enough to drive you mad. She smiled understandingly at him as he shook his head. "How old are you?" She couldn't help but ask. Underneath that haggard, beaten up look about him, he seemed to be fairly young.

"I'm sixteen." Tristan said, sticking his chin defiantly up at her. Shilo couldn't help but laugh. She jumped down from her dumpster to land merely inches from the boy.

"Really? _Just_ sixteen? And you're out here? Why?" Shilo had had a dead mother, the Repo Man for a father… All the makings of a perfectly miserable existence. This kid must have had it pretty rough to be stuck out here.

Tristan shrugged. "There's… just nothing for me at home anymore," he said, shuffling his feet again.

"And you thought things would be better out here? Because if that's the case, you're wrong, kid," She used Graverobber's nickname for her with some glee, glad to have someone younger than her to use it with. It made her feel almost superior. "How long have you been out here for?"

"…About a month or two," Tristan said, biting his lip.

"Huh. Well Tristan, this is how it works," Though she couldn't help it, and though she had tried to train herself against it, she was developing a soft spot for him. She knew how he felt: scared, hurt, alone...

"Normally, this would be the part where I ask you for your cash," She smiled, turning a palm up and holding it out to him, "But I'm gonna cut you a break, because you look honest enough." Tristan looked up from his feet to meet Shilo's intent gaze. "Save your money for food or something this time 'round, kid." Tristan stared at her in surprise, but wasn't about to question his luck. "Gimme your arm," Tristan rolled up a grimy sleeve to expose the crook of his elbow. "You ready?" Shilo stared at him and waited for his nod of approval. It came, and with it came the push of a needle through flesh. Shilo watched Tristan sink to the ground, a dopey smile plastered upon his weathered face as his head hit the concrete. Another one down.

Shilo stared at his figure, hunched over itself and slumping against the hard earth. "Giving it away for free now, are we?" Graverobber had snuck up behind her, a large hand now resting on her shoulder.

"What? Oh, that… No, I just-"

"Don't explain yourself, kid. I'm sure you had a good reason for it. Just don't make it a habit," Graverobber laughed and nodded towards the exit of the alley. "We should probably vacate soon, kid." He extended an arm to the girl, as was usual.

Shilo nodded, and snaked her arm through his as they began to walk.

"And you're stealing my pet names now, too, kid?"

"Wait, your what?"

"Pet name. You know, a pet name? Term of endearment, nickname…" He looked to Shilo for some recognition of what he meant. He knew she understood when that adorable blush she so often wore spread across her cheeks. Graverobber got such a kick out of how little she knew about the most common things. "I heard what you called him," Graverobber looked down at her as he spoke, and couldn't help but chuckle when she broke their eye contact and looked to the ground.

"It's just… I know what he felt," She began, voice almost a whisper, "I was… where he was once. And all I wanted was someone to be nice to me. For someone to at least _pretend_ to care. I wanted to be that someone for him, I guess." Shilo looked back up at Graverobber and was surprised to see him smiling.

"You're a good kid, Shilo," He said, grinning down at her in that eerily comforting way, "I don't know why you picked this line of work!" His laugh could illuminate any dark place, and Shilo couldn't help but giggle as he ruffled her hair. The two walked in a comfortable silence back to the flat, a murky sunrise glimmering ahead of them.

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Yessssss I know this is short, and I'm sorry for that, but there's more a-coming, I promise. And yes, Tristan is coming back… I've got **_**big**_** plans for that boy :) So! You know what to do, review to make me a happy camper.**


	12. A Simple Question

**Mmkay, so AGAIN, I can't apologize enough for the delay! Things have been so hectic that I really haven't had time to do anything other than study :/ BUT here's a new chapter; hopefully it's long enough for you!**

**Thanks so much to everyone who's added me to their favorites/story alerts/etc, even though I haven't been as faithful to updating this story as I should be. **

**Aaaaand a heaping thank you to everyone who's been reviewing! Your words keep me writing (even if I don't put everything up right awayxD)**

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Amber Sweet was enraged. "WHERE IS HE?" Her scream echoed and bounced off the walls of what used to be her father's office. "He couldn't have just… Disappeared! What's taking so long? That… that _cunt_!" A table lamp went careening towards the wall by her brother's head.

"A-hey!" Pavi glanced up from the mirror he was holding to meet his sister's furious glare.

"He's probably with that _bitch_! I'm obviously not good enough, EVERYONE loves her! 'My daddy's been poisoning me and killing people while I sleep. Oh, woe is me! I'm such a FUCKING MARTYR.'" Amber slammed herself against the desk, placing a hand melodramatically over her heart. I've got a _company_ to run, goddamnit! Why does no one seem to care? They _all_ just go to that… that… WHORE!"

Pavi snuck out of the office while Amber's back was turned to avoid another lamp.

"Fucking Shilo Wallace, I want her gone…"

~x~

"So, why do you do this?" Tristan had become quite the regular customer in the weeks that followed.

"Do what?" Shilo asked as she filled another addict with Zydrate. Oddly enough, she was okay with Tristan coming by just to talk. After their first meeting, he had _always_ had the money to pay her… She figured idle conversation with her new acquaintance couldn't hurt, so long as he was still hooked on her wares.

"This… Sell Zydrate. I mean, you could probably do anything else you wanted! You're smart enough, and you're pretty enough, and you seem to know what you're doing all the time…" His voice trailed off as he eyed her.

Shilo laughed. "Flattery will get you _no where, _sir. Besides, I don't even know how to answer your question. I guess… It's a long story." Her tone was light, but she was being serious. The people on the street didn't even know her _name_, let alone her back story. And she had to keep it that way; the walls had ears.

Tristan nodded and leaned against a dumpster. He was about to speak, when Shilo held a finger up to him. A customer came up to her, and Tristan got comfortable where he was. He wanted to watch the girl at work. The plastic man paid, and Shilo knelt down at his feet. Tristan thought she looked almost holy, looking up at the man like she wanted only to help him ward off the pain. Shilo then performed a craft she had, for the most part, mastered beautifully. She raised the hem of the man's shirt, and injected him above his prominent hip bones. She stood, and the man fell, collapsed with a muddled grin on his face. "You were going to say something?" Shilo looked back to Tristan, a small smile graced her lips.

Tristan laughed to himself, and looked at his feet. "I've… I need to ask you something." Shilo turned to look at him, an eyebrow raised. "I… I can't do this anymore. This whole 'living on the street thing'. It's so dirty and… and people aren't all as nice as you. I just," his brow furrowed, as he took in a stubborn breath, "I can't stay here." His voice was almost a whisper; Shilo had to strain to hear it.

"What're you going to do, then?" She asked as she placed the now empty Zydrate vial in her pack.

"Well… I was hoping… That maybe you'd be able to…" Tristan's head couldn't fall any lower.

"Take you in?" Shilo finished for him. He looked up, relief etched in every line of his face. He nodded, the faintest trace of a smile around the corners of his mouth. Shilo, however, did not look so assuaged. "Um…" She looked over at Graverobber, and hoped he could feel her need for him to intervene somehow. But he was doing what he did best, and couldn't turn to help. "Um, I'd like to help, kid, but I don't think I can do that." She laughed nervously, and Tristan's face fell yet again The girl's heart went out to him. It wasn't that she didn't want to give him a place to stay… He seemed innocent enough, but having a Z addict in the house of two Zydrate peddlers would probably not be the best idea. "I'm sorry, I just… Don't think he'd be too happy about that," She nodded towards Graverobber.

Tristan's eyes widened. "You two live together?"

_"Shit," _Shilo thought. No one was supposed to know that. No one was supposed to know anything about either of them. "What? No. Maybe. Don't tell anyone, okay?" Her voice was silently pleading, and she hoped he could tell how serious she was. Tristan chuckled.

"Why not?" He questioned, laughter still in his voice.

Shilo couldn't think of a good enough reason. At least not a reason the boy would understand. "Look, I'll ask him if you can stay with us, _for tonight_, if you promise me you won't tell _anyone_." Shilo was thankful that the crowd had thinned; the less people they were surrounded by, the less chance there was for someone to eavesdrop.

"Really?" Tristan's smile seemed to stretch passed his ears.

Shilo nodded. "Just… stay by that dumpster till we figure this out," she ordered. Tristan did as he was told.

~x~

"_What?"_ Graverobber spat. "Are you_ crazy? _We can't take _that_ in! Why would we?" Shilo had waited until the crowd was totally gone to divulge her thoughts to Graverobber.

"Well, just look at him!" She gestured towards Tristan, crouched pathetically by the dumpster, breathing into his grubby hands for warmth. "That kid doesn't belong out here. And I mean, since he already knows we live together, it's not like he'll-"

"_WHAT? _Jesus Christ kid, did your father not teach you the meaning of the word 'secret' when you were a kid? That's not just something you run around telling people!"

"But he's not just a people, he's… well… Kind of my friend, I guess. I barely ever talk to anyone other than you, and I just… I feel bad." She looked up at Graverobber, trying her best to manipulatively stare him down. And it worked.

"Ugh, _fine._ Damnit kid, I think you broke me or something," He rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath as Shilo walked, almost skipped, to where Tristan was.

"He said you could stay! Only for tonight, but you can stay!" Tristan's eyes blazed happily as he stood.

"Lead the way," he said.

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**Short? Yes. But will a new chapter be up very soon? Also yes! **


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